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An Evaluator’s Primer
Understanding Military Transcripts and Ensuring Academic Integrity
Michele S. Spires, Associate [email protected]
The Texas A&M University System2011 Military Friendly Symposium
September 29, 2011
Workshop Goals
• To provide background and information on the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLLL).
• To provide a clear understanding of the review process.
• To increase the awareness, use, and benefit of the transcript services (AARTS, SMART, and ACE transcript).
About ACE
www.acenet.edu
Center for Lifelong Learning: Guiding Philosophy
“WHAT an individual learns is more important than when, where, and how the individual learned it.”
www.acenet.edu/CLLL
ACE Center for Lifelong Learning
Program Evaluations
• Military Programs
• Corporate ProgramsCollege Credit Recommendation Service
(CREDIT)
Commission on Lifelong Learning
• Membership includes:– campus CEOs– higher education institutions– educational associations– businesses– labor unions
• Term of membership: 3 years
• Meetings: Spring and Fall
www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/About/Commissions/Lifelong.htm
Special Projects and Initiatives
• Adult Learner Research
• Free quarterly lifelong learning e-magazine
• Technical Workshops
Serving Those Who Serve
• Promotes access to and success in higher education
• Supports service members and their families
• Aligns opportunities for colleges and universities
• Home Pagewww.acenet.edu/stws
• Informational Brochurewww.acenet.edu/stws/brochure
• Issue Briefwww.acenet.edu/stws/issuebrief
From Soldier to Student
www.acenet.edu/CPA/STS
Released July 2009
Identifies gaps
Provides overview of programs and services
Serves as a catalyst for discussion
A national snapshot of the programs, services, and policies that campuses have in place.
Military Service Members and Veterans in Higher Education
• Published with support from Lumina Foundation for Education
• Outlines the details of the new GI Bill
• Provides data on current military undergraduate students
www.acenet.edu/CLLL
Today’s GI Bill
• Launched November 2009
• Benefits eligibility• College prep and
selection• Credit transfers • Admissions• Success stories
www.todaysgibill.org
Veteran Success Jam (May 2010)
• Overview of the conversation (3,000 participants)
• Key insights and ideas for action: – Promising practices on college
campuses– Financing an education and
education benefits– Earning college credits for military
service– Supporting the families of veterans– Navigating a path to college– Transitioning to employment and
training– Physical and psychological health
challenges
www.acenet.edu/links/military/ensuring_success
Accommodating Student Veterans
NEW ~ July 2011• Provides tips for accommodating
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Offers information about prevalent battlefield injuries
• Illuminates examples of promising practices including rights under federal disability law
• Establishes examples of relationships with staff in the disability services office on campus
• Describes methods of instruction to ensure accessibility
www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms
The Toolkit
www.vetfriendlytoolkit.org
Program Evaluation Activities
Evaluate formal courses and occupational specialties
Publish course and occupation descriptions and academic credit recommendations
Transcript and registry services
Value of an ACE Review
• Academic institutions
• Learners
• Organizations
• Military
Overview: Process for Military Programs
• DoD contract
• Course and occupation materials submitted
• ACE’s Content Review Committee (CRC)
• Review Team Selection Committee
• Pre-site visit telephone conferences
• Team site visit and recommendations
www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms
Military Programs Does Not Evaluate
• Air Force courses transcribed by the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)
• Military schools with degree-granting status
• Courses outsourced to colleges and universities
• Coast Guard additional skill identifier / qualification codes
About Military Evaluations
2010 Fiscal Year• 42 installation visits • 1,900 courses • 105 occupations• 95 teaching faculty members• 3,700 semester hours in the lower division• 1,700 semester hours in the upper division • 125 semester hours in the graduate division
Overview: Process for Corporate Programs
• Organizations contact ACE to determine eligibility to participate
• ACE’s Content Review Committee (CRC)
• Review Team Selection Committee• Pre-site evaluation visit• Team site visit and recommendations
www.acenet.edu/programs/credit
Example Corporate Clients
• SkillSoft (SmartForce)• Learning Tree International• FAA• Delta Airlines• Foreign Service Institute• Defense Language Institute• Defense Acquisition University• Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Reflections or Questions?
On to the Evaluation Process
The General Review Process
• Conduct pre-meetings with points of contacts
• Travel to training locations
• Review materials (conduct interviews for occupations)
• Document evaluation and write descriptions
• Final reports
Review Committees
Content Review Committee (CRC) Role• Determines the appropriate content and academic disciplines for
courses and occupations• Reviews discipline alignment by the Classification of
Instructional Programs (CIP) • Determines the scope of the team
Review Team Selection Committee Role• Reviews evaluators nominated for the team• Approves nominations
Evaluator Representation
University51%
4-Year College27%
Community College
19%
Practitioner or Other
3%
• Accrediting agencies
• Types of institutions
• Approximately 7,000 faculty on military teams (since 1954)
Overview: The Evaluation of Courses
• Formal military instruction and military occupations specialties; courses approved by a central authority
• Correspondence courses with proctored end-of course exams
• Distance learning/online courses with documented rigid control test conditions and firm identification of the student.
The Program of Instruction (POI)
• POI parallels a syllabus
• Official course documentation
• Must be maintained at ACE
• All services use POIs• Branch specific
supporting documents
Evaluative Criteria for Courses
• Course content• Learning outcomes• Depth and breadth of material• Level of difficulty• Applicability to postsecondary programs• Evaluative instruments• Outside assignments• Instructor qualifications**
Content scope and rigor must be at the post-secondary level!
Types of Credit
• Vocational / Certificate
• Lower Division
• Upper Division
• Graduate
No Credit Recommended
• Material presented in the course is not comparable to content and rigor at the post secondary level
• Material offered is inadequate for a judgment to be made
• Inadequate outcome assessments
Sample Course Team Consensus Sheet (TCS) - Military
Military Evaluations: Related Competencies
• Aligned with each of the credit recommendation subject areas
• Displayed in Military Guide Online
• Implemented in October 2006
Reflections or Questions?
On to Occupation Evaluations
The Military Occupation Evaluation
• Occupation is a job designation by the military service
• Review and assessment are more experiential in nature
• Teams validate demonstrated and expected job knowledge, skills, abilities by pay grade
Military Occupation Evaluations: The General Process
Review Committees• Content Review Committee (CRC)• Review Team Selection Committee
Teams• Travel to the military installation• Review official occupation documentation• Interview service members• Develop final recommendations
Military Occupation Evaluations: Official Documentation
• Occupation manuals• Technical guides and training
manuals• Promotion examinations• Study guides • Other official branch specific
documentation
Military Occupation Evaluations: Service Member Interview
• Focus on the representation of the job expectations at the pay grade
• Clarification and validation of the official military documentation
Military Occupation Review: Team Process
• Synthesis of information
• Alignment to current curricula
• Determination of post secondary content and rigor
• Team consensus must be 100%
Reflections or Questions?
On to Transcript Overview
Transcript Services
Validation of credit recommendations
Value of Transcripts
• Degree completion• Training and certification
verification• Employment• Job advancement• Skills documentation
• Advanced college placement
• Courses in certification programs
• State credentials verification
• Resume development
Transcript Data
Calendar Year
# of Transcripts Processed (AARTS)
# of Transcripts Processed (SMART)
# of Transcripts Processed (CREDIT)
2008 217,913 105,799 7,963
2009 296,075 125,462 7,806
2010 293,594 134,200 7,668
AARTS SMART ACE CorporateUniversity of Phoenix 35,269
Central Texas College 31,875
American Military University 16,429
American Public University 14,490
University of Maryland University College/Europe/Asia 14,038
North Central Institute 9008
Grantham University 6629
American Intercontinental University Online 6014
Columbia Southern University 5922
Excelsior College 5524
University of Phoenix 13,143
American Intercontinental University 7503
Ashford University 5912
Coastline Community College 4175
American Military University (Manassas) 3752
University of Maryland University College 3666
Excelsior College 3318
Colorado Technical University Online 2964
Thomas Edison State College 2357
Central Texas College 2062
Thomas Edison State College 629
Excelsior College 265
University of Maryland University College 102
University of Phoenix 51
American College of Education 50
Ashford University 47
Anne Arundel Community College 32
Grand Canyon University 32
Eastwick College 31
Charter Oak State College 23
2010: Top 10 Transcript List
Military Guide Online www.militaryguides.acenet.edu
Over….
15,000 course exhibits
3,100 occupation exhibits
The Military Guide on CD
• No more printed guides
• Newest version on CD is January 2011
Military Transcripts: AARTS
• Since 1987• Current or highest rank
achieved while in the military • Military status (active or
inactive)• Additional skill identifiers (ASI)
and skill qualification identifiers (SQI)
• Formal military courses completed and evaluated
• Military occupational specialties (MOSs) held and evaluated
• Standardized test scores • Descriptions and credit
recommendations
General Contact Info (AARTS)
The Army American Council on Education Registry Transcript
System (AARTS)
AARTS Operations Center1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 410
Fort Knox, KY 40122
Phone: (800) 833-6622Web Site: aarts.army.mil
E-mail: [email protected] to Friday: 0730 to 1600 ET
Military Transcripts: SMART
• NEW!! Revised April 12, 2011• Similar to AARTS• Includes two addenda
– Summary Page– Academic Institutions Courses
• Addenda are provided for advisory purposes and not endorsed by ACE
General Contact Info (SMART)
Sailor/Marine/ACE Registry Transcript (SMART)
SMART Operations Center NETPDTC, N2
6490 Saufley Field RoadPensacola, FL 32509
Phone: (877) 253-7122 (toll-free) Web Site: https://smart.navy.mil
E-mail: [email protected]
Features of Web Delivery
https://aartscolleges.army.mil https://smart.navy.mil
Web Delivery Contact Information
AARTS Operations
1600 Spearhead Division AvenueDept. 410
Fort Knox, KY 40122
Carol [email protected]
aartstranscript.army.mil
SMART Operations
NETPDTC, N26490 Saufley Field Road
Pensacola, FL 32509Laurine Anderson
x1097, 1236, or 1149
smart.navy.mil
Military Transcripts: Coast Guard Institute
ACE Military Guide Onlinehttp://militaryguides.acenet.edu
Coast Guard Institute Transcripts
http://www.uscg.mil/hr/cgi/ve/official _transcript.asp
Military Transcripts: CCAF
CCAF Catalogshttp://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/publications
.asp
CCAF Course Descriptionshttp://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/catalog/200
8cat/cd_ind.htm
Resources: A Transfer Guide
• Written specifically for the service member
• Released March 2009
• Provides simple, straightforward guidance on understanding military credit recommendations and transcripts
• Includes definitions of common terms, answers to frequently asked questions, and a transfer credit checklist
• Websitewww.acenet.edu/militaryprograms/transferguide
Resources: ACE Military Brochures
College Credit Recommendation Service
• National Guide
• ACE Network of Cooperating Colleges and Universities
• ACE Affiliate Offices
www.acenet.edu/programs/CREDIT
The National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training
www.acenet.edu/nationalguide
www.acenet.edu/transcripts
ACE Transcript
• Recognized by colleges/universities, state credentialing authorities, and employment agencies
• Learners can maintain their own accounts online
Serve as an Evaluator
• You must be actively teaching college-level courses.
• When your discipline expertise is needed, you are contacted directly to serve on the ACE team.
• ACE pays all evaluators an honorarium and travel.
www.acenet.edu/[email protected]
Faculty Evaluator Database
• Online application• Academic institution
affiliation• Degrees / credentials• Current teaching position• Short biography• Resume or CV required• CIP codes identified• Routinely audited
www.acenet.edu/evaluators/serve
Evaluator Handbook
• Clarifies the review process• Demystifies expectations • Tools, resources, veteran
evaluator tips
www.acenet.edu/evaluators
Resource Tools for Colleges and Universities www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms/resourcetools
• Portal for colleges and universities
• Sample transcripts
• Rank charts
• Quick links
DoD Worldwide Education Symposium
• July 23-27, 2012• MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV• "Educating the Force--Joint Effort,
Joint Success"– Outcomes, Quality & Return on
Investment– Innovations in Educating the Force– Best Practices in Education (Support)– New Counselor Development – Issues in a Joint Environment
www.ww2012.com
American Council on EducationOne Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Toll Free: 866-205-6267
Military Programs202-939-9470 or [email protected]
www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms
Corporate Programs202-939-9434 or [email protected]
www.acenet.edu/programs/CREDIT
Lifelong Learning Resource Center
